Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has initiated legal proceedings against Thames Valley Police over his arrest and the searches carried out at his properties earlier this year, related to the so-called Epstein Files investigation. The former Duke of York is seeking a judicial review to determine whether the warrants used to raid Marsh Farm in Norfolk and his former home at Royal Lodge in Windsor were lawfully issued.
The warrants, granted by an Old Bailey judge following an application from Thames Valley Police, were executed in February. Mountbatten-Windsor was detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office—a serious common-law offence potentially punishable by life imprisonment—on his 66th birthday. He was questioned for nearly 12 hours at Aylsham police station before being released under investigation. Police seized various documents and digital devices from his properties during their searches.
The investigation stems from allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor improperly shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the United Kingdom’s special envoy for international trade and investment between 2001 and 2011. Court documents revealed that Mountbatten-Windsor may have passed official reports and confidential briefing notes concerning official visits and investment opportunities in locations including Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, and Helmand province in Afghanistan. Following these revelations, the UK government released related files in May, complementing earlier disclosures from the US Department of Justice.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His legal team contends that the police warrants were improperly obtained and seeks a court determination on their validity. A private hearing is scheduled this week to decide whether certain documents connected to the judicial review should be made public. This legal challenge marks the first time since the trial of King Charles I in 1649 that a member of the British royal family has contested the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them in court.
Separately, Mountbatten-Windsor has been involved in a legal matter concerning an alleged stalking incident. Friends reported that he encountered a man wearing a balaclava near his Sandringham estate on May 6, who reportedly pursued his vehicle. Suffolk police received an eyewitness account, and Alex Jenkinson, 39, faces charges of using threatening or abusive behavior causing Mountbatten-Windsor to fear unlawful violence during the incident. Jenkinson denies the charges and is due to stand trial in December. Police are also seeking a civil stalking protection order against him, supported by evidence gathered from Mountbatten-Windsor and Jenkinson’s phone searches.
The proceedings and ongoing investigations into Mountbatten-Windsor remain active, with the former royal expressing a sense of uncertainty amid the legal and personal challenges.